Dear God, that glower. “I imagine most young ladies quiver in their slippers at a single glare from you, but I’m not one of them.”
“No?” He caught her upraised chin between his fingers. “Whatdoesmake you quiver, Lady Emma?”
Emma sucked in a breath, unable to hide her shock. Not at the innuendo—she’d heard far worse—but that he’d say it to Lady Emma Crosby, daughter of an earl, a sweet young innocent who’d never set foot outside of Somerset.
He must know who she really was. Hemust, or he’d never dare—
“Forgive me.” Lord Lymington released her, his hand dropping away from her face as if her skin had burned him. “Whatever your game is, I’d advise you to think carefully before you choose to play it with me.”
“Game? I don’t knowwhat you mean.”
“I think you do, my lady. I think you know precisely what I mean.”
Uneasiness tightened Emma’s stomach, but she held her ground, chin still raised. “I haven’t the faintest idea, my lord, but you’ll have to enlighten me at some other time. My grandmother is fatigued, and must rest before our engagement tonight.”
Lord Lymington offered her a polite bow, but his narrowed gray eyes seemed to see right through her. “Of course, Lady Emma.”
Emma couldn’t quite suppress a flinch at the cold edge with which he said her name, and didn’t wait to hear any more, but hurried back to Lady Crosby.
When they reached the carriage, they found Daniel standing beside it, a note from Helena in his hand, which he handed over to Emma. “Hereye are, lass.”
Emma waited until they were settled in the carriage and on their way to Mayfair before she tore it open and read the few lines Helena had scrawled. “She says as far as she can tell, Lord Lovell didn’t mention a word to anyone about Caroline Francis.”
“Do you suppose he doesn’t yet realize she’s there?” Lady Crosby asked. “Perhaps that isn’t so surprising. The family has been in mourning since the previous LordLovell passed.”
Emma considered it, then shook her head. “Perhaps, but that would be strange, wouldn’t it? If you were Lord Lovell, and you’d committed a crime, wouldn’t you make it your business to keep track of the one lady who could expose you?”
Lady Crosby frowned. “Perhaps Lord Lovell didn’t commit the crimes Caroline’s accused him of, after all. Then he’d have no reason to worry aboutwhere she is.”
“But why would Carolinelie about it?”
“I don’t know. What else does Helena say?” Lady Crosby peered over Emma’s shoulder at the letter. “I can’t make out a wordof her scrawl.”
“Only that the ladies at the Pink Pearl were all atwitter at Lord Lovell’s appearance, and that all of them were vying for his attention before he led his chosen companion to a bedchamber upstairs—” Emma glanced at Lady Crosby. “I beg your pardon, my lady.”
Lady Crosby waved a dismissive hand. “My dear Emma, by the time you reach my age, nothing shocks you.”
“Well, that’s something to look forward to.” Emma grinned at her, then glanced back down at the note in her hands. “It may be that Lord Lovelldoesknow Caroline is at the Pink Pearl, and he wants her to be aware he knows. He must have realized the entire brothel would be in an uproar whenLord Lovelyappeared at the Pink Pearl. Caroline couldn’t have failed to hear of it, despite not being there that night.”
Lady Crosby patted Emma’s hand. “It’s all quite peculiar, but I have utter faith in you, Emma. Until you sort it out, however, we’ll have to bear with there being a great many questions, and notmany answers.”
Emma settled against the squabs and closed her eyes, but behind her eyelids, her head was spinning. A potentially murderous viscount, a marchioness who hadn’t breathed a single word about her missing servants, and a marquess who was determined to frighten away his cousin’s admirers.
Peculiar, indeed.
Under cover of the darkness in the carriage, she reached up and trailed her fingertips over her chin. She could still feel the imprint of Lord Lymington’s fingers there, warm and firm against her skin.
Chapter Five
“Lord Barrett hasn’t left Flora’s side all night.”
“Hmmm?” Samuel was distracted by the couples twirling around Lady Swinton’s ballroom. Lord Dunn had taken Lady Emma to the floor, and Samuel couldn’t seem to tear his gazeaway from her.
His heart quickened each time he caught a glimpse of her creamy skin peeking from the delicate lace sleeves of her gown, so perfect against thevibrant green.
Not blue tonight, but green.
The color of her gown made no difference. She was tempting, no matterwhat she wore.
